Without Her
by GarmadonJr
Summary: A one-shot in tribute to ColeXNya- Cole was supposed to be the leader, the one who stayed strong when the others crumbled. But he found himself crumbling when he met Nya, who was like no one else he'd ever met.


**GarmadonJr here. I have been plagued with Writer's Block, recently, so I've just been flipping through, watching my favorite Ninjago episodes again. I have been denying it, but now I see the truth- ColeXNya is doomed. So here's a tribute for it.**

 _Dragon_ , Cole's mind warned. _Large, scary dragon. Oh, crud_.

Cole backed away, his heart pounding almost painfully in his chest. He was the strongest ninja. He was Master of Earth. He wasn't supposed to be scared of anything.

The growling dragon disagreed.

For reasons that mystified even him, he'd harboured a lifelong fear of dragons. Cole didn't like large creatures with sharp pointy teeth. End of story.

Generally, it didn't matter. Sure, Jay liked to tease him about it. But really, what were the chances of coming face-to-face with a genuine dragon?

Perched on the dragon's back was Kai. His amber eyes, the only thing visible through his hood, danced with genuine joy, the first time Cole had seen them unhostile. Behind him was a girl, who Cole assumed was his sister Nya.

Cole felt his gut twist. Nya really was quite pretty. Her blue eyes gleamed with exhilaration- evidently, she did not share Cole's fear of dragons. In the sunlight, her shining figure reminded him of childhood fairytales. She did seem a fae sort.

Behind him, Jay began mumbling something unintelligible, which Zane translated.

"Do you like blue?"

Nya grinned at him. "It's my favorite colour."

Cole felt a stab of something- jealousy? That couldn't be right. He was the leader, Master of Earth. He had duties. He couldn't flaunt his responsibilities to chase after a girl who didn't feel the same way.

He brushed his budding feelings away to the back of his mind. It wasn't worth it.

* * *

Nya raced across the training course, ebony hair flying in all directions. Cole's eyes followed her around, flicking up and down as she flipped over obstacles, then finally resting in front of him, as Nya came to a halt.

"Good job," he chuckled, stopping the timer. "You beat my speed record."

"That isn't saying much," Nya teased, making a face. "I might as well be racing a lump of rock."

"You are," Cole admitted, heart beating a little faster as she laughed.

He glanced at her as she turned to him, holding her gaze for a few moments, before looking away. All of the pent-up feelings suddenly rushed to the fore of his mind, and he stood there blinking for a few minutes, overwhelmed.

"Nya! Come on, I wanna show you something!"

Kai's voice cut through the silence between them, triumphant, followed by Jay's groans.

"Looks like Kai's beat Jay at Fist-2-Face," Nya looked towards the monastery. "I'll go congratulate him, I guess. Wanna try again tomorrow?"

"Sure," Cole shrugged, grinning, as Nya turned, sprinting towards what Sensei called the "Waste-Your-Time Room".

Cole ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. He really did like Nya, it was no use denying it. Her looks were no longer the focus of his affections, though. He admired her more as a fighter, a warrior. She possessed speed, skill and determination beyond what any of the ninja could achieve.

But it was hopeless. Jay was infatuated with Nya, and it seemed Nya returned his feelings. Cole was just the leader. The ninja in black, who sparred with her occasionally. He clenched his fists, trying to shove Nya to the back of his mind.

And failing. Again.

* * *

Cole looked into Nya's glowing violet eyes, fear and pain boiling in his chest. Her vibrant red colours had faded into monochromatic shades of gray. His heart clenched with hatred for Garmadon, for corrupting the best of them into a feral beast.

She lunged at him, her clawed hands raking the air milimetres away from his chest.

Cole put his sword away, catching her wrist as she attacked again. Nya struggled briefly, before Cole let go. He couldn't make Nya suffer, even if she didn't have the same concerns.

His mind strayed back to their sparring matches. Nya had thrust, parried, and stabbed at him with the same speed and ferocity, which he'd returned. But now, none of the playful exhilaration lingered in her eyes. She truly wanted to destroy them.

Nya clawed at him again. Cole hesitated, before knocking her over, pinning her to the ground.

 _Come back to us_ , Cole willed desperately.

 _Come back to me._

* * *

They were safe, away from the Overlord. They had escaped amid the havoc of the hacked mechs, and Cole was grateful.

But his mind still lingered on the students they had left behind. He was Master of Earth; it wasn't in his nature to drift around, leaving things behind. He worried about them. They had left behind the students to endure who-knew-what, fleeing to Garmadon's monastery. Admittedly, the students had never liked him, and the feelings were mutual. But he still cared.

"How are our kids?" Cole asked absent-mindedly as Nya walked in. Nya was always the best informed- maybe she'd know if they were alright.

"Our kids?" Nya's eyes widened, like a deer caught in headlamps. "I mean, we're not married, or anything, why would we have kids?"

"I meant our students, weirdo," Cole teased, turning back to the book in his hands. "Ever since we left the school, I've worried for them." Furtively, he turned away from the other option for her reaction- that she cared, the way he did.

"Dareth's looking after them," she replied, going a little pink. Blushing even harder, she took a few abrupt steps towards him. "You know, Cole, you don't get the credit you deserve."

Cole looked up, startled, his heart leaping. "What do you mean?" He didn't want to jump to conclusions. If he was given false hope, just to have it taken away- He couldn't endure it.

"I mean, you always put others ahead of yourself," Nya continued, somewhat shyly. "I know the other ninja get all the attention, but I just want you to know- you're a good guy."

 _She cares_ , Cole's heart thudded with delight. _She really does._

Cole reach out and took her hand. He'd waited for so long on the sidelines, watching Jay and Nya, as they moved closer to becoming a couple. There had been so many times, when his heart felt like cracking apart. But it had all been worth it, for this moment.

* * *

"Hah!" Jay crowed, his eyes narrowed with malice, as Cole leapt over a bolt of lightning. "That's all you got? Like I said- Least valuable ninja!"

Cole roared in fury, slamming his fists into the floor of the arena. "Eat dirt, Blue-belle!"

The two sent boulders and lightning flying at each other. Neither cared about the gleaming Jade Blade perched atop a stack of rocks- this wasn't about winning. It was for Nya.

Anger pumped through Cole's veins. He had been hurt so many times, endured so much for Nya. And now that he'd finally won her heart, Jay was there, in his way. Shoving and elbowing. Insulting him.

Jay charged his fists, and directed a bolt of lightning at him, that he barely deflected with a blast of earth. Cole struggled for a moment, trying to push away the threat.

"Stronger than you thought, huh?" Jay jeered at him, the lightning centimeters away from his face.

"I'm looking forward to some peace and quiet, when you're out of the tournament," Cole growled to no one in particular. With a surge of energy, he blasted the lightning away, knocking Jay onto his back.

Cole blinked at Jay for a second- vulnerable, wincing in pain. The adrenaline drained away. He was the leader- but really, how much leading had he done recently? He'd bickered with Jay over Nya, forcing the team apart, and when Zane had disappeared… He'd crumbled. And so had the team. He hadn't done anything to bring them back together.

And now Jay was lying on the floor, defeated. By Cole. Rambling, happy, Jay. This wasn't what Nya wanted.

 _We came here to be whole again- not to fall further apart_ , Lloyd's voice echoed in his head.

He loved Nya- he was too far in to dismiss it as a mere crush. But he couldn't do this to his team- not even for Nya's sake. In fact, it was for Nya that he made up his mind.

"What are we doing?" Cole's voice was a ragged whisper. "I don't want you out. You're not my enemy- Chen is."

"Oh, sure," Jay snapped, getting to his feet. "Lower my guard by pretending to be my friend, then swoop in to steal the prize. Typical Cole maneuver."

That stung. He never recalled using any tactic of the sort. But nonetheless, Cole ploughed on. "I never meant to hurt you, Jay," he murmured as Jay summoned his lightning. "If I'd known it would destroy our friendship, I'd take it all back." He meant every word he uttered, and he hoped Jay would see that.

"Well if we're being honest," Jay stopped in his tracks. "I was upset about losing Nya… But I was more upset about losing you. We used to be good friends."

Cole understood, suddenly, how it must have felt to Jay. To have a friend betray you, and take something you loved… Cole bent his head. "The best," he agreed quietly. "We should have been more honest with each other, instead of bottling this up."

"Agreed," Jay answered. "But how are we supposed to stop fighting? We can't both win."

"Well, maybe we can draw it out until they call it a tie," Cole suggested. "Quick, attack me. But not hard," he added quickly, as a playful spark lit in Jay's eyes.

Jay ran towards Cole, throwing a badly aimed punch. In response, Cole aimed a kick at the air above Jay's head.

"What is this?" Master Chen shrieked at the former opponents. "Patty-cake? I'm bored. Release the 'Condrai 'Copters!"

"I've got your back," Cole told Jay, as four helicopters flew into the arena, circling them.

"And I've got yours," Jay said. The two took a defensive stance.

"Ninja-GO!" They spun into their Spinjitzu, whirling around the arena. _Just like old times_ , Cole thought, a grin spreading across his face. It had been a long time since he'd fought beside his brother. Within a matter of seconds, they'd taken out all the helicopters and their pilots.

"Enough!" Chen yelled, standing. "I know what you are trying to do. If neither of you will win, then both of you will lose!"

Cole stepped backwards as the floor beneath them began to crumble, tile by tile. On the edge of his peripheral vision, he noticed Jay doing the same. _There's no way out of this_ , Cole realised. "We can't both lose," he said desperately. It would kill Nya, if neither of them made it home. "Chen's right- there can only be one."

"And it should be you," Jay looked at Cole, no hint of the former malice in his eyes. "You and I both know I'm lucky to have even made it this far. You take the Jade Blade."

Cole closed his eyes. He couldn't do it, couldn't sentence a brother to any kind of horror. But Jay was serious now. He wouldn't change his mind.

He leapt over the gaping holes in the floor, onto the pillar. Cole's fist closed onto the Blade's handle, and in one move, he threw it down to Jay.

"Winner!" Chen called. "Loser! Master of Lightning moves on."

"She's yours, Jay," Cole's voice caught, as the words forced themselves up his throat. "I should have bowed out a long time ago." He hesitated, then spoke, his voice stronger. "Win this thing."

 _I love you, Nya_ , Cole thought, as the tile beneath him fell. It would be hard, and Cole knew that nothing but heartbreak lay ahead. But for the sake of Nya's happiness, for the sake of the team…

He'd just have to learn to live without her.

 **Aaaaaaand we're done. This thing took three days to write. This is my first fluffy thing, and I didn't plan anything, so this is pretty much from the heart. That explains why this is so disorganised. I hope you like it.**


End file.
